What role do citizens play in the voting process?

What Will I Learn

The following information and activities will help you to understand how citizens can become involved and engaged with our democratic system
You will learn how you can make your ideas and views heard

Working democracy needs citizen involvement and open compromise.

Índice Show

What Will I Learn
Parliamentary Committees
Petitions
Using the Media

Democracy requires participation and responsibility within our system of governance. It is our responsibility to make our voices heard and that we question the policies and decisions of the Government and keep the Government accountable. Listening to different perspectives and views makes democracy stronger.

We must exercise our power and civic responsibility directly and/or through freely elected representatives. Citizens are the source of all government power.

Checks and balances within the parliamentary system and the principle of the separation of powers keep governments accountable and ensure that they do only those things that the people have given it power to do.

The rule of law requires governments to be accountable to the people and reflect society’s values to make ”good law” for the people. No person or government is above the law, and no government or official can enforce an unjust or unfair law.

Constitutional order: the structure and powers of the Australian Parliament, Government and the Courts are part of our written Commonwealth Constitution which cannot be amended without a referendum.
Representative democracy: eligible citizens elect members of parliament to make decisions and laws on their behalf. If citizens do not think their representatives are doing a good job, they can vote for new ones at the next election.
Responsible government: to be in government, a party or coalition of parties must have the support of the majority of members in the Lower House, in NSW this is the Legislative Assembly. The Leader of the Government and Ministers are elected representatives and chosen from this group. This makes sure the NSW Government is accountable to the NSW Parliament which represents the NSW people.

Australia generally enjoys a peaceful and harmonious society with a successful democracy. Its many benefits include:

The ability to resolve different views and conflicts peacefully.
The freedom to act, speak and think freely (as long as it does not stop others doing the same).
Equality before the law.
Safe and secure community.
Good government that is efficient, transparent, responsive and accountable to citizens.
Ability to hold elected representatives accountable.

Rights and liberties are guarantees and freedoms enjoyed by citizens in liberal democracies. In some countries such as the USA, Canada and New Zealand they are listed in a Bill of Rights. In other nations such as Australia they are enshrined in the Australian Constitution.

Every citizen has the right and opportunity to play an active part in the decision-making processes of government and the Parliament.

Voting for Parliament at state, federal and local elections and in referendums keeps the people at the centre of the democratic system. Through this process, citizens freely exercise their choice and give the authority to their elected members to represent them in parliament and to form governments based on the majority decision of the people.

But how can we influence our elected members’ decisions and actions during their term in office? In this section you can trace a number of methods that you can engage in to improve outcomes on the issues you find of primary concern.

Your local member, Ministers or Government departments can assist with problems, take action or refer the issue to someone who can assist. They will often pass the concern on to an appropriate minister or officer. In some cases, they will raise these concerns in the parliament. All members of Parliament are listed here.

Parliamentary Committees

Expressing our views to a committee, either in writing or in person, is a direct way of having a case taken into account as new legislation, policies or decisions are being developed. Committees investigate complex issues in society and their reports can influence government and parliament decisions. Most committees invite community submissions.

Petitions

Petitions are a traditional way of mobilising change, by presenting a petition to parliament through a member. Petitions have a set format which should be followed.

Recently the Legislative Assembly has introduced ePetitions which allow petitions to be signed and submitted online!

Lobbying

Individuals, groups or organisations attempt to make their views known to politicians in order to influence political decisions. It is an accepted practice within a democratic system that must operate within the law. There are many worker, employer and particular interest organisations that represent their interests to the government and the media. Some individuals or firms operate as professional lobbyists, offering their skills and knowledge to organisations which want their case put effectively.

Key to making change and taking effective action is accessing information. Freedom of information laws promote and enhance the processes of democracy and representative government by increasing access to government information.

Citizens can use the Freedom of Information Act to get access to certain information held by the Commonwealth Government or the Government Information (Public Access) (GIPPA) Act at the state level in NSW.

Learn more by reading this background paper Freedom of Information and Open Government.

Using the Media

Newspapers, radio and television can play a significant role in publicising issues or exposing problems. The media can be used to reflect or promote public opinion and influence decisions of the government. Today the internet offers new opportunities to generate support and action on issues and to influence others.

Direct action such as:

demonstrations
public speechmaking
street marches
public meetings
use of signs and banners
handing out pamphlets to the public

can be legal ways of attempting to generate and demonstrate public support for an issue and influence decision-makers.

A History of Voting in the United States

Today, most American citizens over the age of 18 are entitled to vote in federal and state elections, but voting was not always a default right for all Americans. The United States Constitution, as originally written, did not define specifically who could or could not vote—but it did establish how the new country would vote.

Article 1 of the Constitution determined that members of the Senate and House of Representatives would both be elected directly by popular vote. The president, however, would be elected not by direct vote, but rather by the Electoral College. The Electoral College assigns a number of representative votes per state, typically based on the state’s population. This indirect election method was seen as a balance between the popular vote and using a state’s representatives in Congress to elect a president.

Because the Constitution did not specifically say who could vote, this question was largely left to the states into the 1800s. In most cases, landowning white men were eligible to vote, while white women, black people, and other disadvantaged groups of the time were excluded from voting (known as disenfranchisement).

While no longer explicitly excluded, voter suppression is a problem in many parts of the country. Some politicians try to win reelection by making it harder for certain populations and demographics to vote. These politicians may use strategies such as reducing polling locations in predominantly African American or Lantinx neighborhoods, or only having polling stations open during business hours, when many disenfranchised populations are working and unable to take time off.

It was not until the 15th Amendment was passed in 1869 that black men were allowed to vote. But even so, many would-be voters faced artificial hurdles like poll taxes, literacy tests, and other measures meant to discourage them from exercising their voting right. This would continue until the 24th Amendment in 1964, which eliminated the poll tax, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which ended Jim Crow laws. Women were denied the right to vote until 1920, when the long efforts of the women’s suffrage movement resulted in the 19th Amendment.

With these amendments removing the previous barriers to voting (particularly sex and race), theoretically all American citizens over the age of 21 could vote by the mid 1960s. Later, in 1971, the American voting age was lowered to 18, building on the idea that if a person was old enough to serve their country in the military, they should be allowed to vote.With these constitutional amendments and legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the struggle for widespread voting rights evolved from the Founding Fathers’ era to the late 20th century.

Why Your Vote Matters

If you ever think that just one vote in a sea of millions cannot make much of a difference, consider some of the closest elections in U.S. history.

In 2000, Al Gore narrowly lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. The election came down to a recount in Florida, where Bush had won the popular vote by such a small margin that it triggered an automatic recount and a Supreme Court case (Bush v. Gore). In the end, Bush won Florida by 0.009 percent of the votes cast in the state, or 537 votes. Had 600 more pro-Gore voters gone to the polls in Florida that November, there may have been an entirely different president from 2000–2008.

More recently, Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by securing a close Electoral College win. Although the election did not come down to a handful of votes in one state, Trump’s votes in the Electoral College decided a tight race. Clinton had won the national popular vote by nearly three million votes, but the concentration of Trump voters in key districts in “swing” states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan helped seal enough electoral votes to win the presidency.Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results. Most states have a “winner take all” system where the popular vote winner gets the state’s electoral votes. There are also local and state elections to consider. While presidential or other national elections usually get a significant voter turnout, local elections are typically decided by a much smaller group of voters.A Portland State University study found that fewer than 15 percent of eligible voters were turning out to vote for mayors, council members, and other local offices. Low turnout means that important local issues are determined by a limited group of voters, making a single vote even more statistically meaningful.

How You Can Make Your Voice Heard

If you are not yet 18, or are not a U.S. citizen, you can still participate in the election process. You may not be able to walk into a voting booth, but there are things you can do to get involved:

Be informed! Read up on political issues (both local and national) and figure out where you stand.
Get out and talk to people. Even if you cannot vote, you can still voice opinions on social media, in your school or local newspaper, or other public forums. You never know who might be listening.
Volunteer. If you support a particular candidate, you can work on their campaign by participating in phone banks, doing door-to-door outreach, writing postcards, or volunteering at campaign headquarters. Your work can help get candidates elected, even if you are not able to vote yourself.

Participating in elections is one of the key freedoms of American life. Many people in countries around the world do not have the same freedom, nor did many Americans in centuries past. No matter what you believe or whom you support, it is important to exercise your rights.